A River Divided The Story Biography Of Chief Coppa Hembo 1812 1898

Coppa Hembo was a fascinating historical figure. Born of a Maidu father and Washoe mother he would rise to become the primary Huuk (Chief ) for nearly 50 years over the Hill Nisenan band of the Southern Maidu, with authority over the Maidu and Washoe people living on the Divide between the forks of the Natoman (American) River. As a young man he had been attacked by a grizzly bear which he managed to kill, permanently disfigured by the mauling he was given the name Coppa Hembo (Grizzly Bear Killer). He would lead his people in battles against slave raiders but managed to keep his people out of both the First and Second Indian Wars of El Dorado County continuing to live in peace with the horde of invading miners. Coppa Hembo's leadership included arranging for his people to be vaccinated against small pox in 1852. His reputation for wisdom and impartiality found him serving as both a judge and keeper of the peace for both Indians and non-Indians. A staunch proponent of education he arranged to help the local school system during conflicts arising from the American Civil War. He would guide his people into full integration into the American society thus saving them from being rounded up and herded onto reservations. His is not a story of tragedy but instead one of triumph for a true American Hero.

The Osage Indians were a powerful group of Native Americans who lived along the prairies and plains of present-day Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. The Osage: An Ethnohistorical Study of Hegemony on the Prairie-Plains, now available in paper, shows how the Osage formed and maintained political, economic, and social control over a large portion of the central United States for more than 150 years.

The history of the West from the Natives perspective and the world wide forces affecting them are rarely found in our history books. For the tribes in the West the history before the 1840's is poorly understood and when taken out of context seems to make no sense to the casual reader. In particular the history of the Natives in Northern California seems to be completely overlooked. These people had a turbulent history prior to the Gold Rush of 1849 and while run over in the flood of immigration their history continued . This fascinating part of our Nation's history and the context in which it occurred is the heart of this work.

Born of mixed blood parents Bill's father died before he was born from a buffalo hunting accident. Adopted by his mothers new husband he would be educated and grow to be an Osage Warrior to fight for the rights of Native Americans and his families very survival. He would eventually be commissioned a Second Lieutenant and serve in the Army of General Stand Watie fighting for citizenship, Congressional Representation and the right to live in freedom. As Native Americans they were denied American Citizenship and the right to vote and even after the American Civil War they could still be legally owned as slaves. After the war he would work hard in the reconstruction of his people's homeland giving rise to the Osage Nation. Serving in law enforcement he would rise to become a judge. In his lifetime he went from participating on the buffalo hunts of his people to driving automobiles and the wonders of flight. However, the rights he and his fellow warriors fought for would not be achieved until his Great grandson was nearly 17 years old in 1948 when the last objective (the right to vote) would finally be achieved. His story is an American story, rarely told about the Native Americans from the Indian Territory now known as Oklahoma. A comprehensive work that brings the history to life with family pictures and the actual events that shaped America as we know it today.

Hunting in California doesnt get much attention. With thick brush in hot temperatures, many hunters and writers pick easier states. However as other states have hunts requiring ten or more years worth of preference points to draw a tag, Californias over the counter two bucks a year, begins to look better. We have huge Boone and Crocket black bears. The wild hogs are open year round no limit. Its hunting you can do, but you need to use different methods and different tools. Here are some exciting hunts and useful information you just wont get anywhere else. We have gone all out to make some of Californias wildlife problems easier to understand in a fun and humorous book. The hunting here in California can be some of the most intense and challenging in the West. When you do get a trophy here it means more.